Prologue
by cougarlips
Summary: He made his rounds around the garage, smiling and laughing at all the right times to guarantee the best (and cheapest) results, but at Daryl he faltered. Whether it was because he sensed flattery would get him nowhere or it was the look of murder on Daryl's face, Daryl wasn't sure.
1. prologue

**a/n** : queenofwands78 on tumblr requested a first kiss the other day, and i got hella into it omg. sorry this is so much longer than usual!

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Jesus was a lot of things, but subtle was not one of them. Yes, he could be as sly and as slippery as a fox from any children's fable, but it was part of a switch he flipped if - and when - he wanted, not the other way around.

When Daryl first met the man, the switch was on and he made no wrong turn as he flirted his way into deals and swindled discounts from the unsuspecting workers who had the pleasure of his company - later, those would be Jesus's own words.

He made his rounds around the garage, smiling and laughing at all the right times to guarantee the best (and cheapest) results, but at Daryl he faltered. Whether it was because he sensed flattery would get him nowhere or it was the look of murder on Daryl's face, Daryl wasn't sure (though, Jesus would later swear it was how great he looked covered in grease and soot smeared across his face).

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of your company today?" he asked, his tone genuine and curious, his eyes studious against Daryl's face.

But Daryl didn't answer. He narrowed his eyes at the strange man and ducked back underneath his car, pretending he couldn't hear what Jesus was still saying.

"If the name on that badge is correct, then your name is Daryl, right? I'm Paul Rovia. I've never been to this shop myself, but I came after hearing _quite_ a high recommendation, if I do say so myself."

Daryl didn't have to look at him to know he was all smiles and charm, and he scoffed from underneath the car. "Ain't no one'd give _this_ place praise," he shot back at the man.

"No?" Paul countered. "Well, I'd definitely give _someone_ praise, then."

"Nothin' you say's gonna make this go any faster," Daryl told him, and for half a second he thought he actually heard him begin walking away, the footsteps receding, before suddenly the light by his head cut off. He turned underneath the car to see the disturbance, and saw the man crouching low, a smile settled comfortably on his lips.

"For fuck's sake-" Daryl cursed, sliding out from underneath the car and facing Paul over the roof. "I ain't playin' no goddamn games with you, so either get out of my shit or find someone else to fix your shitty car."

Daryl thought that was the end of it. The smirk on Paul's face didn't lessen but he nodded and walked back toward the front of the building, making pleasant conversation with Aaron and his husband who'd stopped by for lunch. Daryl shook his head and returned underneath the car, determined to get it fixed and _him_ out as quickly as possible.

So when he finally finished - almost two hours later - and came back to the front to find him and tell him that he was done, he frowned at his sleeping figure.

Aaron spoke from the front desk: "He told me he lived in DC growing up but wanted to get out, and he's been gone for a few years. He was on his way back before his car died on him."

Daryl nodded shortly. "Yeah, it's fallin' to pieces. Got it working now."

Aaron nodded. "He's been living in it and just driving around, he says. I didn't ask why he wanted to leave in the first place but he says he's dreading going back. He started falling asleep and I wasn't about to tell him no."

Rolling his eyes, Daryl looked at his watch. He shook his head. "I gotta meet Rick - I'm watchin' Judith and Carl tonight."

Suddenly, Paul stirred. Leaning forward, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked blankly at Aaron and Daryl before offering them a self-deprecating smile. "I'm sorry, you guys," he said, and Daryl was surprised to hear the lack of bravado in his voice. "Is everything done? Here, let me just-"

As he fumbled around his pockets for his wallet, Aaron waved his hand. "No, I've got you covered."

Daryl watched Paul's face fall blank before he shook his head. He pulled out his wallet anyway. "No, I need to pay you, seriously-"

It was such a startling contrast to the man Daryl met with cockiness oozing out of every pore that he forgot to narrow his eyes suspiciously at him. Paul met his eyes for only a second before ducking his gaze.

"When you're living on the road for so long, you stop caring about people and start doing whatever you can to get things fast and cheap," he admitted, "but I… like you guys. And I actually _want_ to pay you back and in full, so let me, okay?"

Aaron met Daryl's eyes sadly and before anyone could say anything else he offered, "Come stay with me tonight. My husband and I've got a room and we always cook too much dinner for just the two of us. Let us help you get back on your feet."

Just before they left, as Daryl was pulling on his jacket and stepping onto his motorcycle, Paul walked towards him and smiled. "Thank you for helping even though I was kind of a bitch," he said, leaning in to kiss Daryl's cheek.

He walked away, side by side with Aaron who snickered under his breath, and Daryl made a mental note to figure out _exactly_ what they discussed about him while he worked on the car.

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 **a/n** : friendly reminder that i've got a request page on my tumblr now (user thatsmygvn) so if you're interested, check it out!


	2. interlude

Daryl met Rick Grimes one night almost three years prior when he was trying to take a hungover, withdrawn Merle home from behind the alley he'd spent the weekend in. Loud, uncaring, and filter-free, he yelled at and catcalled every passerby they came across. After one too many calls rang in, Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes arrived on the scene and had to arrest Merle for indecent behavior, threatening an officer, and illegal possession, but he took pity on Daryl, who - except for the way cigarette smoke permeated his entire aura - was clean as a whistle and looked hopelessly at his brother's receding figure.

Rick knew the type of guy Daryl was. He'd seen his type all throughout his career: the unwilling accomplice doing what needed to be done to survive but hating every bit of it. He took pity on Daryl and offered to help him turn his life around.

(It that took Daryl almost a year to realize there were no strings attached to Rick's kindness.)

With Rick's help, Daryl got out of his life with Merle. He found himself with more money than he ever thought possible when he realized Merle wasn't there to leech off him for drugs or women. With his job in a busy garage in the better part of town, he made enough money to buy a small apartment and provide for himself completely.

It would be a lie to say Rick didn't change Daryl's life, but it was more than just him: it was Rick's ex-wife Lori, with her soft brown eyes and gentle hands that helped Daryl calm down after an episode; it was his son Carl, who was too young to understand the serious nature of life and helped Daryl be a kid again; it was Rick's partner Michonne, with as many demons as Daryl but thrived in spite of them.

When Jesus finally came into the fray, it would have been difficult to look at Daryl and see his history, but it was there everywhere if you looked. It was in the way he held himself, with his shoulders drawn tight and hunched protectively over his chest. It was in the way he entered buildings, mapping the doors and windows before he could even think about doing anything else, routing an escape plan in the back of his mind with every step he took. It was the way he refused to take off his shirt even on the hottest of days in the stuffy garage, instead preferring to risk heat stroke than show anyone the scars marring his skin.

The first time Jesus saw Daryl, it was this man he met: the one whose head was stuck in the past, constantly trying to make himself invisible, and using aggression to keep strangers away. Even in the company of Aaron and Eric Raleigh Daryl protected himself. At their home he kept quiet and eyes the exits meticulously.

Jesus hoped that after a few weeks Daryl would relax around him. He stopped acting around Daryl in hopes that his honesty would help him open him up, but to no avail. Instead, Daryl seemed to throw his guard up even higher.

Aaron listened to Jesus complain about this, but his advice was hardly helpful: "You don't know him like we do. It took a year for him to open up to Rick. It took him another year to actually relax around him and his family. Daryl needs time."

When the opportunity for Jesus to finally meet the infamous Rick Grimes came up, he accepted the offer immediately. He wanted to know more about this man who Daryl trusted with his life. He expected to go to this man's house to see a stern, imposing man - someone who would make someone like Daryl feel safe. He wasn't expecting to see a graying father of two with an entire history in his face.

"Jesus, I presume?" he asked, reaching a hand out.

With an easy smile, he replied, "Or Paul. I prefer Jesus, though."

Rick's eyes met his, impossibly blue and skewering. It almost felt he was looking into his soul. All of a sudden, Jesus felt like he could keep no secrets from this man - that he'd see right through him and his lies. He also felt, however, that this man would be as understanding as they came.

After entering the house, they were joined by a dark skinned woman with heavy dreads tied back by a scarf. Michonne, she introduced herself. Rick smiled when he saw her, so tender and heartwarming that it was clear exactly who she was to him.

"The kids?" he asked her, the rest of the question unsaid but clear.

She looked towards Jesus for only a second before telling Rick, with a knowing smirk, "Carl's with Lori today. Glenn and Maggie dropped him off after he said hi to Enid. Judith's in the living room practicing on two feet."

The smile that graced Rick's face was so genuine it almost hurt Jesus to look at him, but only a second later Rick gestured for him to follow.

Looking around the house, Jesus slowly began to understand exactly why Daryl felt so comfortable around this family. They were open and honest, not only to themselves but to everyone around them. Every wall held frame after frame of their family: a tall, serene woman with brown hair, a boy with her hair and eyes but Rick's face, Michonne, a baby with fuzzy blond hair, a man with thick black hair and a crooked smile, a young woman with a willowy girl standing next to her and a Korean man on her other side.

Their entire life story - and then some - stood open on the walls of their home, clear as day.

Before they turned into the living room, Jesus heard soft babbling and high-pitched giggling matched by whistled nursery rhymes and soft murmuring.

First, he saw the little girl, balancing on her feet on the man's knees and laughing the entire time. She looked like a little like the woman in the photographs but little like Rick or even the man she played with.

Who happened to be Daryl.

Jesus wondered if this was how Daryl felt after he started acting like himself , not the conman he'd turned into. To see Daryl so calm and relaxed, smiling at the baby girl and singing and whistling lullabies under his breath, it was better than any fantasy he'd dreamed up.

Rick dropped to the floor next to them, smiling as though he had no care in the world except for her. She reached for him, clenching her tiny fists into his beard and blowing uncoordinated raspberries in his face.

Michonne moved to stand beside Jesus before Daryl caught on to his presence and she nodded at the look of awe and wonder on his face.

"He'll open up to you eventually," she told him. "He just doesn't understand how he feels about you right now." She shrugged and turned around, but before she walked away she rested her hand on his arm. "But I didn't tell you that, okay?"


End file.
